Dustpan manipulator for carpet sweepers



Jan. 13, 1942. c. c. PARRISH DUSTPAN MANIPULATOR FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Filed Feb. 7, 1940 1PM v Patented Jan. 13, 1942 v "2,270,196.11 nos'rmN MANIPULATORJFOR CARPET SWEEPERS: 1. a

Carl C. Parrish, Shelbyville, Ind, assignor to Porter Steel Specialties, Shelbyville, 1116., a copartnership composed of Hester Porter Fuller, George M. Parker, and Parrish Fuller Application February 7, 1940, Serial No. 317,650

2 Claims.

' vention.

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention; I

Fig. 2 an end elevation with the external cover plate removed;

Fig. 3 a fragmentary sectional plan; and

Fig. 4 a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I indicates the usual end wall of the main casing or shell of a sweeper of this type, conveniently made of ply-board. Formed in one vertical face of this end board (the outer face in the present illustration) is a groove II which opens through a side wall I2 of the casing at one end, and extends to the middle of the end wall where it communicates with a Vertical slot I3 extending through the end wall.

Journalled in groove II is a shaft I4 provided, at its inner end, with an inwardly-extending lever I5 and, at its outer end, provided with a manipulating lever I6 extending close along the outer face of side wall I2 immediately above the usual rubber buffer ring II which surrounds the main casing. Lever I6 normally lies below the top of the casing and is conveniently bowed upwardly, as shown, so as to provide adequate finger room between it and the buffer ring. Lever I6 is conveniently encased in a rubber thimble I8.

The inner end of lever I5 is connected to the apex of the usual V-spring 20, they opposite ends of which are hooked into the heels of the usual dust pans 2| which are pivoted in the main casing on horizontal axes 22.

As usual in structures of this type, the opposite ends of the dust pans are provided with a similar V-spring and the two V-springs perform their usual function of normally holding the dust pans in receiving position.

In order to retain shaft I4 in groove II a thin metal retaining strip is nailed in place over the groove and shaft.

An upward force on lever It causes upward movement of the inner end of lever I5 and its connected V-spring 20 to cause a dumping swing of the dust pans.

The groove I3 may be formed at low cost and provides an efiicient journal for shaft I4. As lever I6 lies closely above the buffer ring I! and below the top of the casing, it is very inconspicuous and is thoroughly guarded so that it cannot be brought into contact with furniture.

In many instances the debris which is accumulated in the dust pan does not discharge readily when the pans are thrown to open position and the operator desiring complete discharge must sweep the pans with a brush, cloth or fingers. To facilitate this operation the amplitude of swing of shaft I4 and the length of its lever I5 is such that the pans, on their opening movement, may have their heels brought against stops 26 which, while preventing the points of attachment of the ends of spring 20 from passing dead center, nevertheless permit said points to so nearly approach dead center that the springs, of their own resilience, are incapable of automatically closing the pans but permit initial closing movement of the pans by application of an initial returning force on lever I6.

In order to insure proper relation of springs 20 and lever I5 at all times, the apex of the spring is slightly elongated, as shown in Fig. 4, so that it may not be accidentally displaced relative to lever I5. The spring may be thus formed without additional cost and without hindering threading the spring through the eye of lever I5, thus contributing to low cost of production and assembly.

It will, of course, be understood that the above described invention may be readily employed in a sweeper having a sheet metal casing and that, in its broadest aspect, the distinguishing characteristic is an oscillable pan manipulating shaft journalled on the end wall of the casing on an axis parallel with the end wall and provided, at one end, with a crank arm engaging the pan spring or lifting link and, at the other end, with a manipulating crank arm.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sweeper having dust pans mounted to be swung about two axes to and from retaining and discharging positions, a V-spring having its free ends anchored respectively on the pans between the two axes of the pans and resiliently acting on said pans normally to move said pans to and hold them in debris retaining position, and operating means by which said V-spring may be positively bodily shifted alternately, toward and from the pan plane, pan arresting means arranged to permit but limit pan opening movement to a position where the V-spring by reason of its resilience is incapable of initiating return movement of the pans but such return movement may be initiated by application of force upon the V-spring by said operating means.

2. A carpet sweeper having a main casing comprising a top and depending side walls and end walls, one of said end walls having an open groove formed in its outer face and extending in a plane at right angles to a side wall and terminating in a perforation through said side wall, a rock shaft journaled in said groove and pro- CARL C. PARRISH. 

